The Tearing of the Veil

[Andrinor2]

Q's for the GM

We need some clarification about our limitations as undead, for many reasons. One being, the vampire/sunlight problem. The other is, do we as characters really know the full extent of our powers and weaknesses? We may have fought undead in the past, but did we know any? Converse with any? Are we undead scholars? All we have at this point is peasant rumors to base our knowledge off of.

Now being incorporal should be a dead giveaway (sorry for the pun), but we shouldn't just know everything about our current state. That should make things very different in the beginning. Our first fight should be a learning experience, and I will play it as such.

If you just woke up and found you had died, after the initial disbelief, wouldn't you still fight at first the same way you used to?

 

[Andrinor2]

"Fine, Tibalt and you (he points to Lon), what was your name again? Anyway, since you volunteered, you two should move out and scout this situation. The rest of us shall seek shelter and learn more of ourselves. An army is most effective only when they know everything about their strengths and weaknesses. Good luck to you."

 

[Halden Kraal]

Halden Kraal

Out of sight of the riders below, Halden unslings his crossbow and loads it.

Just in case there are complications. We should be ready to move out in any case.

He peers over the rise to watch the riders below.

 

[warlord2]

Jd

Agree with Andironor and that is the way planned on approaching this fight.... I will find a good vantage point under cover and ready my bow....

 

[Hanuman47]

Questions Answered

I want to apologize for the confusion about characters and PbP mechanics. Most PbP games start with an out of character thread to hash out such details and questions. I had hoped that the PDF and emails would be sufficient to render this unnecessary, but it looks like there were several things I either didn’t think to cover or didn’t do so clearly enough.

Character descriptions: It was my intent for everyone to describe themselves in character. I guess I wasn't explicit enough about that when I said "tell us what our first impression of your character is" in the first post. Most of you gave at least a brief description in your first posts. If you haven’t yet done so (or want to expand on what you wrote), please include your description, as you want to be perceived by the other characters in an sblock labeled “Description” in your next post.

Character Sheets: My reason for having everyone post character sheets is so that they are here on the thread for easy reference and so that I can get a copy of any I don't have already. No one else has any particular need to look at them (see below).

Spoiler Blocks: Again, I was unclear about how to use these. In general, I use them 1) to set aside information that only a subset of the player characters would know or 2) to enclose large blocks of text that would otherwise cause lots of scrolling.

I see that I created unnecessary confusion by not adhering to either of the above rules in my last post. I’ve fixed that now and will try in the future to be more consistent and make certain that the audience for spoiler blocks is readily apparent. In general, assume that a spoiler block in a player’s post is intended for the DM only unless otherwise labeled.

There is of, course, nothing to prevent you from reading spoiler blocks that aren’t intended for you. I don’t have a particular problem with that; I trust everyone to be able to separate character knowledge from player knowledge. If there’s something that you really don’t want anyone else to see, email it to me.

Undead Abilities: Another thing I was unclear about in the first post is the amount of time that has passed since your deaths. Everyone died at midnight the Vult 16, 997 YK. The game started on Vult 28 (twelve days later). Now it is very early in the morning of Zarantyr 1, 998 YK (New Year’s Day).

My point is that you’ve had nearly two weeks to explore your condition, so you are reasonably familiar with what you can and cannot do. If you want to role-play discovering your abilities as you use them, that’s OK, too (you as a player know what you can do but it’s OK for your character to use an ability for the first time by instinct, for example). I’m going to assume that any undead who need to feed have done so recently (some of you actually even referred to having done so in your first posts or in emails to me). The “hunger clock” starts from the moment the game started – late night on Vult 28. Ghouls do not have to eat living flesh, but the fresher the better (and the flesh of sentients “tastes better” than that of non-sentients).

Assume you only know what other characters tell you about themselves, apart from the fact that everyone looks dead.

Conventions, Revisited: In general, I will type most game events in prose in white text (with colored text to denote speech). Silver text will used to discuss things in more mechanical terms. Meta-game issues will be in smaller silver text ({size=1}, if you’re curious about the syntax). Privileged information will be handled in sblocks or, if it’s something double ultra-secret, by email.

Rolling Dice: There's an online dice roller here: http://invisiblecastle.com/rolldice.py. It keeps all rolls for a particular character in a database and generates a hyperlink to the result - copy that hyperlink into your post. Here's my preferred format for die rolls:
Sample Check (@1d20+4) = {url=http://invisiblecastle.com/find.py?id=492990}21{/url} (as always, use [], not {} -- those are the keys next to the P key, Andrinor. )

Hopefully that clears some things up. If you still have questions, feel free to post (in silver and/or sblock) or email me.

Game update to follow.

 

[Muleke]

Carmilla

"Royal Dukar, I have yet no need to fear the sun. For I have discovered a cataplasm that can, for a time, shield my deathless flesh from its hateful gaze."

I'm wearing a brick red tube top and mini-skirt. When you first saw me I was in a tourqoise shift. Both outfits, oddly spotless. And I don't look dead, just pale (but with blood-red lips)... and perhaps suffering from consumption.
I have no weapons or armor, but I've retrieved a shoulder bag from the rafters.
I will freely share my unction with any who call themselves Vampyres. Or am I the only one?

 

[Halden Kraal]

Halden Kraal

Addressing Carmilla while watching the beach,

As you will, Lady Carmilla. Such alchemy is outside my expertise.

Does a double take at Carmilla.

Lady, such raiment as you wear better have properties unknown to me, otherwise you may fare poorly if battle is joined. Let's hope our scouts return with good news.

 

[Andrinor2]

"Aye to that Lady. Fighting in your underwear is not very wise or practical. We should find you something more suitable for a...a..."

He stutters, and his eyes can be seen spending just a little to long on Carmilla's form.

"...a Queen like yourself. I would hate to see you getting hurt."

How long has it been? I might never see her face again. Does she even want to see mine? I don't know what I look like now, but I'm certainly not the same. How will I go on?

Andrinor seems restless and his hulking mass shifts constantly in the sand. His long hair seems a bit less dark in this light. His tanned skin shows the undertones of pale death. His facial features, though not bad looking, are somewhat twisted and bloated. But he seems to carry his load effortlessly. Though obviously having seen many battles, his sword is a beatuiful thing to behold--made by a true craftsman.

Every once in a while, when he thinks no one is looking, he pull out and looks at something in his belt pouch. It looks like just a red cloth, or maybe a ribbon of some kind. Everyone has seen it at least once.

 

[Hanuman47]

Some of the party remain behind to guard the advance of the scouts, or engage in the obscene flirtations of the dead. The sounds of their activities soon fade into silence as Lon and Tibalt make their way across the broad expanse of beach, dotted here and their with shocks of thick grass. Both ghosts can feel a call; the elements that they mingle with (wind and earth) beckon them to expand themselves to the point of total immersion. The odd sensations are not enough, however, to make them forget their duty. Both are able to get close enough to see the soldiers well. Their identity is no mystery; they all wear the uniforms of the Thranish military. As Tibalt and Lon observe their movements, one of the soldiers, a bit older than most of his compatriots, strides purposefullly from the skiff to an elderly man, clad in a thick tribex hide cape to ward off the chill to deliver his report.

"There is nothing aboard the vessel to identify it." The soldier pauses, fidgets a bit, and adds, "...my lord Cardinal."

 

[Lon Deslo]

Lon Deslo

Narrowminded do-gooder Thranish simpletons, always in the wrong place at the wrong time. This could be a problem, especially as they appear to have a Cleric of some signifigance among them. I wonder how easily he may be able to sense us... Hard to assess Tibalt's progress, but I trust he can fend for himself. I'd better warn the others.

Lon returns to the group. They are Thranes, and have a Cardinal amongst them. I have no means of gauging his potential, but suspect he may be able to sense us if we draw too close. In the very least surprise may be of limited value.